The pair-trawl fleet’s here, been here since early December. Many of the boats—about six total—hail from Maine and Massachusetts. These are big vessels. That’s what has drawn the attention. You come to the shore expecting to see an idyllic scene: a lone lobsterboat working pots close to the rocky shore, or a wooden Stonington-rigged dragger towing for whiting, a small spiral of smoke rising from its stack.
But a 200-foot trawler towing a massive net with another 200-foot trawler? That may be too much free enterprise for most people to watch—more so when a middle school student with a fair wind could hit the wheelhouse windows with a baseball.
They work in teams. They search for fish. When a school is located they set the net and tow. Right now a hot spot has been off River Ledge, the mouth of Narrow River. The water here is 40 feet deep. They set in a tow down the length of the Town Beach, down the Narragansett shore, passing by First Rock, Indian Rock and the Brothers.
Fishing doesn’t get any more state-waters than this. Any closer would be amphibious invasion. The question is: Should the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) care about protecting state fisheries? If the answer were yes then it might be wise to boot the pair fleet outside of three miles.
Read the complete story from The Dented Bucket